Tuesday, May 11, 2010
"I often make the mistake of thinking that America didn't used to be so mean."
Digby writes about Kent State, 40 years on and after the latest not-so-surprising revelations. I was a little kid myself when this happened, and I remember being more shocked by the public response than the act itself. We haven't changed as much as we think we have.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Nothing on my tongue but...
Three gigs, three days. Not as rigorous a schedule as last years Conspiracy Of Beards New York jaunt, but I have not felt idle.
Friday we convened at a park near Nassau and Manhattan in Brooklyn for a warmup. We gathered in a circle beneath a tree and stopped to drink in the ambient sounds around us: kids, dogs, traffic, Mr. Softee trucks. Under Daryl Henline's direction, we sang our exercises as quietly as possible, aiming our voices at a tiny point in the center of the circle until we became one instrument. Sometimes the warmups are better than the gigs themselves; we transport ourselves mentally to sacred space and ego vanishes, leaving nothing but breath and focus. Of course, these moments last a split-second and we're back to being our ridiculous selves, but the more we can reach that point, the more the Beards become something more than a novelty act. Every second of singing is a tightrope walk to find that balance. Sometimes we get there. This weekend it felt like we achieved it fairly often.
After warmup, we headed to a trippy Polish restaurant flanked by suits of armor on either side of the entrance, where we chowed down on borscht, cabbage, pirogies and hot comfort food and presented Daryl with a birthday card signed by all of us and a new pitch pipe as a gift. Daryl's precocious 8-year-old daughter Lola was along for the trip and charmed everyone with the cool, outspoken matter-of-factness that only a child raised among the Cacophony Society can command.
Picasso Machinery is a house concert/artspace situation not too unlike the House Of Love in San Francisco where the Content Providers played years ago. The small room was packed with beautiful young Williamsburgers and San Francisco expatriates. An old local acquaintance Pete Simonelli (ex-Shotwell, currently fronting the Enablers) turns out to be one of the main instigators of the event, but he was on tour, so we didn't run into him. Got into a chat with a woman who used to live in the Mission and now resides in Harlem. Uh-oh, I said. Are the hipsters displacing the black people? No, she insists, it's become a nice harmonious mixed neighborhood full of families. Two people (including ex-Beard Evan Rehill) read from their works in progress, then we got up and sang sweetly. A good opening show.
Saturday I answered the call to meet at the Chelsea Hotel. They now have a plaque on the front dedicated to Leonard Cohen. Before I got a clue and made a phone call, I expected that the boys would be coming down to the lobby, so I waited there and picked up a Village Voice, opening to an article on the new horror movie The Human Centipede, which I will refrain from describing. Suffice it to say I am now SCARRED FOR LIFE. Thanks a lot, Village Voice.
Finally got the word that the action was upstairs, where a tenant was holding a sale on the rooftop. Took the elevator up and made my way to the room number I'd been given, navigating a stairwell covered in an astonishingly detailed collage of CD covers, nudes, and other photos, passed a very old and very sweet dog at the top of the stairs and met a woman on the sofa who kindly directed me to a ladder that led to the roof where various bags and things were being sold. Met a few colleagues and hung out, then I videotaped all the flights of stairs which were covered with one great painting after another, on the way to a room where some of the boys were staying.
The posse took off for Washington Square Park, where we'd planned to warm up. Colorful yes, but probably not suited to the purpose. Lots of noisy competition, including a pretty cool acapella (well, they did have one standup bass, but otherwise...) doo-wop group doing their thing under the arch. (I videotaped them and got a CD. Hell yeah, they belong on the radio station.) Nevertheless, the boys rose to the challenge, working on the subtle approach. I waved my camera around like a cinema verite goofball, hoping I wasn't too distracting. I got some great footage.
A brilliant, spontaneous plan materialized. Steve, one of our baritones, knew a friend on the Bowery who was having a party that very moment. They were watching the Kentucky Derby and drinking mint juleps. Wouldn't it be cool if we all just showed up and sang them a couple of songs? We jumped at the chance to crash the party. After a long walk we buzzed in and took the elevator up in smaller groups, piling into this really sweet penthouse apartment that probably used to be a seedy residence hotel for the down and out once upon a time. Mint juleps were mixed and distributed, and we filed out to the back deck, where parents were playing with babies and dogs, little girls twirled hula hoops and the remnants of a barbecue slowly cooled. Across the way, we saw other groups of people hanging out on their decks, drinking whatever they were drinking and enjoying the balmy New York heat.
The boys gathered and sang "So Long Marianne", with Steve taking the opening solo to entertain his friends further. I sat it out so I could film it, then joined the gang on "Bird On The Wire". Applause broke out high above us from the neighbors. Awesome.
The Bowery Poetry Club was our scheduled gig for Saturday night, but it wasn't time yet, so some of us decided to get some pizza slices. Ended up at Ray's Pizza, where we had a good conversation with ex-Beard Peter Whitehead, who is now doing music for a new Mikhail Baryshnikov solo piece. Talk turned to the very first Conspiracy Of Beards New York jaunt, before I joined, where the group was booked at a notorious place called The Box (nothing to do with the Box in Oakland), which has already gone down in history as one of the most disastrous gigs in the choir's history. The club was some sort of elite after-hours decadent cabaret for the ultra-rich, filled with swells lounging at tables full of cocaine and premium champagne. The group was mistreated from the start and not let onstage until around 2 AM, after being told that it was highly unlikely they would be allowed to play a full set. Before the curtain was raised, the MC announced that the Conspiracy Of Beards were convicted child molesters who had to sing all over the country as their punishment. Rather than laughing, the audience was silent, which just made an already awkward situation insulting and eerie. The boys launched into a snarling "Everybody Knows", aimed at the creepy venue and punters, and Jeff, the tall snarky Alpha-bass with the massive Rasputin beard, did the only sensible thing under the circumstances and went full Iggy Pop on the crowd, walking into the audience, helping himself to the champagne, and taking off his clothes, at which point the set was forcibly stopped by management. Damn, I wish I'd been there.
Just like last year, the Bowery Poetry Club was a much more welcoming affair. Steve's fiancee Abby was good enough to film the set for us, and we acquitted ourselves well. Some of the gang wanted to continue the revels afterwards, but I jumped in a cab and crashed at the hotel, and a good thing too, considering I woke up at 10:15, realizing we were supposed to be at the Highline Ballroom in 45 minutes.
Which brings us to today. The Highline has an amazing sound system and very kind staff, but the earliness of the past two shows we've done there is weird. Nevertheless, we warmed ourselves up and were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by showtime at 1:40 PM. It was the debut of the octet version of "Anthem", which was my first-ever small group performance. I won't tell you if I made any mistakes or not. Esther Cohen, Leonard's sister, was there, a lovely 70-something woman who looks very much like her brother. The wife of the lead singer of the opening band brought an abandoned kitten with her that she had just rescued from her garden. He was absolutely adorable and clearly knew how lucky he was. Afterwards, we discovered the "highline" that the venue was named after, a former elevated railroad track that has been turned into a park that spans high above the meatpacking district. Another surreal New York treasure.
Oh by the way: I had to get a call from San Francisco to find out about the latest failed terrorist brouhaha in Times Square. Whatever that dumbass was trying to do, New Yorkers didn't even blink an eye. The residents of this fine city do not scare that easily.
Friday we convened at a park near Nassau and Manhattan in Brooklyn for a warmup. We gathered in a circle beneath a tree and stopped to drink in the ambient sounds around us: kids, dogs, traffic, Mr. Softee trucks. Under Daryl Henline's direction, we sang our exercises as quietly as possible, aiming our voices at a tiny point in the center of the circle until we became one instrument. Sometimes the warmups are better than the gigs themselves; we transport ourselves mentally to sacred space and ego vanishes, leaving nothing but breath and focus. Of course, these moments last a split-second and we're back to being our ridiculous selves, but the more we can reach that point, the more the Beards become something more than a novelty act. Every second of singing is a tightrope walk to find that balance. Sometimes we get there. This weekend it felt like we achieved it fairly often.
After warmup, we headed to a trippy Polish restaurant flanked by suits of armor on either side of the entrance, where we chowed down on borscht, cabbage, pirogies and hot comfort food and presented Daryl with a birthday card signed by all of us and a new pitch pipe as a gift. Daryl's precocious 8-year-old daughter Lola was along for the trip and charmed everyone with the cool, outspoken matter-of-factness that only a child raised among the Cacophony Society can command.
Picasso Machinery is a house concert/artspace situation not too unlike the House Of Love in San Francisco where the Content Providers played years ago. The small room was packed with beautiful young Williamsburgers and San Francisco expatriates. An old local acquaintance Pete Simonelli (ex-Shotwell, currently fronting the Enablers) turns out to be one of the main instigators of the event, but he was on tour, so we didn't run into him. Got into a chat with a woman who used to live in the Mission and now resides in Harlem. Uh-oh, I said. Are the hipsters displacing the black people? No, she insists, it's become a nice harmonious mixed neighborhood full of families. Two people (including ex-Beard Evan Rehill) read from their works in progress, then we got up and sang sweetly. A good opening show.
Saturday I answered the call to meet at the Chelsea Hotel. They now have a plaque on the front dedicated to Leonard Cohen. Before I got a clue and made a phone call, I expected that the boys would be coming down to the lobby, so I waited there and picked up a Village Voice, opening to an article on the new horror movie The Human Centipede, which I will refrain from describing. Suffice it to say I am now SCARRED FOR LIFE. Thanks a lot, Village Voice.
Finally got the word that the action was upstairs, where a tenant was holding a sale on the rooftop. Took the elevator up and made my way to the room number I'd been given, navigating a stairwell covered in an astonishingly detailed collage of CD covers, nudes, and other photos, passed a very old and very sweet dog at the top of the stairs and met a woman on the sofa who kindly directed me to a ladder that led to the roof where various bags and things were being sold. Met a few colleagues and hung out, then I videotaped all the flights of stairs which were covered with one great painting after another, on the way to a room where some of the boys were staying.
The posse took off for Washington Square Park, where we'd planned to warm up. Colorful yes, but probably not suited to the purpose. Lots of noisy competition, including a pretty cool acapella (well, they did have one standup bass, but otherwise...) doo-wop group doing their thing under the arch. (I videotaped them and got a CD. Hell yeah, they belong on the radio station.) Nevertheless, the boys rose to the challenge, working on the subtle approach. I waved my camera around like a cinema verite goofball, hoping I wasn't too distracting. I got some great footage.
A brilliant, spontaneous plan materialized. Steve, one of our baritones, knew a friend on the Bowery who was having a party that very moment. They were watching the Kentucky Derby and drinking mint juleps. Wouldn't it be cool if we all just showed up and sang them a couple of songs? We jumped at the chance to crash the party. After a long walk we buzzed in and took the elevator up in smaller groups, piling into this really sweet penthouse apartment that probably used to be a seedy residence hotel for the down and out once upon a time. Mint juleps were mixed and distributed, and we filed out to the back deck, where parents were playing with babies and dogs, little girls twirled hula hoops and the remnants of a barbecue slowly cooled. Across the way, we saw other groups of people hanging out on their decks, drinking whatever they were drinking and enjoying the balmy New York heat.
The boys gathered and sang "So Long Marianne", with Steve taking the opening solo to entertain his friends further. I sat it out so I could film it, then joined the gang on "Bird On The Wire". Applause broke out high above us from the neighbors. Awesome.
The Bowery Poetry Club was our scheduled gig for Saturday night, but it wasn't time yet, so some of us decided to get some pizza slices. Ended up at Ray's Pizza, where we had a good conversation with ex-Beard Peter Whitehead, who is now doing music for a new Mikhail Baryshnikov solo piece. Talk turned to the very first Conspiracy Of Beards New York jaunt, before I joined, where the group was booked at a notorious place called The Box (nothing to do with the Box in Oakland), which has already gone down in history as one of the most disastrous gigs in the choir's history. The club was some sort of elite after-hours decadent cabaret for the ultra-rich, filled with swells lounging at tables full of cocaine and premium champagne. The group was mistreated from the start and not let onstage until around 2 AM, after being told that it was highly unlikely they would be allowed to play a full set. Before the curtain was raised, the MC announced that the Conspiracy Of Beards were convicted child molesters who had to sing all over the country as their punishment. Rather than laughing, the audience was silent, which just made an already awkward situation insulting and eerie. The boys launched into a snarling "Everybody Knows", aimed at the creepy venue and punters, and Jeff, the tall snarky Alpha-bass with the massive Rasputin beard, did the only sensible thing under the circumstances and went full Iggy Pop on the crowd, walking into the audience, helping himself to the champagne, and taking off his clothes, at which point the set was forcibly stopped by management. Damn, I wish I'd been there.
Just like last year, the Bowery Poetry Club was a much more welcoming affair. Steve's fiancee Abby was good enough to film the set for us, and we acquitted ourselves well. Some of the gang wanted to continue the revels afterwards, but I jumped in a cab and crashed at the hotel, and a good thing too, considering I woke up at 10:15, realizing we were supposed to be at the Highline Ballroom in 45 minutes.
Which brings us to today. The Highline has an amazing sound system and very kind staff, but the earliness of the past two shows we've done there is weird. Nevertheless, we warmed ourselves up and were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by showtime at 1:40 PM. It was the debut of the octet version of "Anthem", which was my first-ever small group performance. I won't tell you if I made any mistakes or not. Esther Cohen, Leonard's sister, was there, a lovely 70-something woman who looks very much like her brother. The wife of the lead singer of the opening band brought an abandoned kitten with her that she had just rescued from her garden. He was absolutely adorable and clearly knew how lucky he was. Afterwards, we discovered the "highline" that the venue was named after, a former elevated railroad track that has been turned into a park that spans high above the meatpacking district. Another surreal New York treasure.
Oh by the way: I had to get a call from San Francisco to find out about the latest failed terrorist brouhaha in Times Square. Whatever that dumbass was trying to do, New Yorkers didn't even blink an eye. The residents of this fine city do not scare that easily.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
A quick note
If you have been reading this blog, you have a pretty good idea how we feel about this ill-advised, pointless war in Afghanistan, but putting that aside for now, I am extremely grateful that my nephew is back, unharmed and doing well. We wish him all the best in his transition to civilian adult life.
New York is hot, but I like where I'm singing
Now, after the fact, I can spill the beans. The place Conspiracy Of Beards brought their voices last night is called Picasso Machinery in Williamsburg. It was a great show. We are in good voice, and ready for the Bowery Poetry Club tonight.
I have to cut today's intended New York diary short though, since I just received an e-mail that the boys are gathering at the Chelsea Hotel before we head to Washington Square to warm up this afternoon. Duty calls. Stay tuned.
I have to cut today's intended New York diary short though, since I just received an e-mail that the boys are gathering at the Chelsea Hotel before we head to Washington Square to warm up this afternoon. Duty calls. Stay tuned.
Ear Candle Radio's Top 20, April 2010
Aspiring teenage surf guitarist Neil Young tops the charts with a totally bitchin' instrumental, followed by Prince at his most convincingly political ("We don't give a damn/we just wanna jam...fightin' war is such a fuckin' bore!"), Syd Barrett inviting you into a roomful of musical tunes, obscure post-punks Prag Vec sharing their nic fits, Gilberto Gil's take on a split Brazilian personality in living stereo, an unexpectedly sublime psychedelic instrumental from a band mostly known for novelty songs about Snoopy, another bit of genius from Junko Suzuki and Cyclub, and Mark E. Smith exhibiting middle-aged pride in his own inimitable way.
Somebody out there is digging the early no-commercial-potential work of Frank Zappa, putting not one, not two, but three ear-challenging tracks from the Mothers Of Invention on our charts. Maureen Tucker hitches her seminal thump to Sonic Youth as they take off together on "Chase", the Firesign Theatre serve up some vintage paranoia, Leonard Cohen covers a heartbreaking French Resistance ballad that sounds like he could have written it himself (while his own writing is represented by a gusto-filled version of "First We Take Manhattan" by R.E.M.), Joe Strummer shows us his wistful side, Yma Sumac does her thing all over you, Marlene Dietrich does Dylan (X-tal used to use this song as their walk-on music when they toured Germany in the 90s), Judy Collins offers another bleak one from her jarring art-song album In My Life (check this one out---it will change your idea of Judy Collins forever), and the Impact All-Stars serve a bit of audio theatre depicting two highly opinionated recording engineers debating about the proper way to create a dub mix.
We put up the music, but it is you the listener who create these charts. and what you come up with each month is endlessly fascinating. Thank you, and keep listening!
1. The Squires - The Sultan - Neil Young Archives Vol. 1: 1963-1972
2. Prince - Partyup - Dirty Mind
3. Pink Floyd - Bike - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
4. Prag Vec - Cigarettes - Wolf
5. Gilberto Gil - 2001 - Cerebro Eletronico
6. The Royal Guardsmen - OM - The Return Of The Red Baron
7. Cyclub - Let's Go On A Journey - Science Future
8. The Fall - 50 Year Old Man - Imperial Wax Solvent
9. The Mothers Of Invention - Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula - Weasels Ripped My Flesh
10. Moe Tucker - Chase - Life In Exile After Abdication
11. Firesign Theatre - Waiting for the Electrician - Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him
12. The Mothers Of Invention - King Kong - Uncle Meat
13. Leonard Cohen - The Partisan - The Essential Leonard Cohen
14. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Willesden To Cricklewood - Rock Art and the X-Ray Style
15. Yma Sumac - Gopher - Mambo!
16. R.E.M. - First We Take Manhattan - I'm Your Fan
17. The Mothers Of Invention - What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? - We're Only In It For The Money
18. Marlene Dietrich - Die Antwort weiss ganz allein der Wind - The Essential Marlene Dietrich
19. Judy Collins - Liverpool Lullaby - In My Life
20. Impact All Stars - Ordinary Version Chapter 3 - Forward The Bass: Dub From Randy's 1972-1975
Somebody out there is digging the early no-commercial-potential work of Frank Zappa, putting not one, not two, but three ear-challenging tracks from the Mothers Of Invention on our charts. Maureen Tucker hitches her seminal thump to Sonic Youth as they take off together on "Chase", the Firesign Theatre serve up some vintage paranoia, Leonard Cohen covers a heartbreaking French Resistance ballad that sounds like he could have written it himself (while his own writing is represented by a gusto-filled version of "First We Take Manhattan" by R.E.M.), Joe Strummer shows us his wistful side, Yma Sumac does her thing all over you, Marlene Dietrich does Dylan (X-tal used to use this song as their walk-on music when they toured Germany in the 90s), Judy Collins offers another bleak one from her jarring art-song album In My Life (check this one out---it will change your idea of Judy Collins forever), and the Impact All-Stars serve a bit of audio theatre depicting two highly opinionated recording engineers debating about the proper way to create a dub mix.
We put up the music, but it is you the listener who create these charts. and what you come up with each month is endlessly fascinating. Thank you, and keep listening!
1. The Squires - The Sultan - Neil Young Archives Vol. 1: 1963-1972
2. Prince - Partyup - Dirty Mind
3. Pink Floyd - Bike - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
4. Prag Vec - Cigarettes - Wolf
5. Gilberto Gil - 2001 - Cerebro Eletronico
6. The Royal Guardsmen - OM - The Return Of The Red Baron
7. Cyclub - Let's Go On A Journey - Science Future
8. The Fall - 50 Year Old Man - Imperial Wax Solvent
9. The Mothers Of Invention - Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula - Weasels Ripped My Flesh
10. Moe Tucker - Chase - Life In Exile After Abdication
11. Firesign Theatre - Waiting for the Electrician - Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him
12. The Mothers Of Invention - King Kong - Uncle Meat
13. Leonard Cohen - The Partisan - The Essential Leonard Cohen
14. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Willesden To Cricklewood - Rock Art and the X-Ray Style
15. Yma Sumac - Gopher - Mambo!
16. R.E.M. - First We Take Manhattan - I'm Your Fan
17. The Mothers Of Invention - What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? - We're Only In It For The Money
18. Marlene Dietrich - Die Antwort weiss ganz allein der Wind - The Essential Marlene Dietrich
19. Judy Collins - Liverpool Lullaby - In My Life
20. Impact All Stars - Ordinary Version Chapter 3 - Forward The Bass: Dub From Randy's 1972-1975
Friday, April 30, 2010
Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning
Funny how one day of vacation leaves me chock full of bloggy inspiration, isn't it? Must be a sign that work really sucks lately. This stress just ain't healthy for the body or the mind. Doesn't make me special though; I think most of us struggling in this crap economy are in the same boat.
Anyway, here I am again at the internet ice cream parlor on 8th Ave. and 21st St. in Chelsea, blogging like a mofo with horrible pop music blasting in the background, killing time before this year's first Conspiracy Of Beards gig in New York which will be taking place tonight at an undisclosed location in Williamsburg, about which I am sworn to secrecy as there is apparently only a 75 person capacity. I'll tell y'all how it went.
Some of the boys are staying at the legendary Chelsea Hotel itself, which is just a stone's throw away from here. I expect them to really shine on that tune this year (certainly I know the words better now):
Any local lurkers on this blog should know that we will be at the Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery at E. 1st) on Saturday May 1 at 9:30 pm, and at the Highline Ballroom (431 w. 16th St at 9th Ave) on Sunday, May 2 at 1:00 pm. You'll recognize me because I'm the one with the suit, beard and/or hat.
Anyway, here I am again at the internet ice cream parlor on 8th Ave. and 21st St. in Chelsea, blogging like a mofo with horrible pop music blasting in the background, killing time before this year's first Conspiracy Of Beards gig in New York which will be taking place tonight at an undisclosed location in Williamsburg, about which I am sworn to secrecy as there is apparently only a 75 person capacity. I'll tell y'all how it went.
Some of the boys are staying at the legendary Chelsea Hotel itself, which is just a stone's throw away from here. I expect them to really shine on that tune this year (certainly I know the words better now):
Any local lurkers on this blog should know that we will be at the Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery at E. 1st) on Saturday May 1 at 9:30 pm, and at the Highline Ballroom (431 w. 16th St at 9th Ave) on Sunday, May 2 at 1:00 pm. You'll recognize me because I'm the one with the suit, beard and/or hat.
The man with the loudest voice...
...surely must have the most to say, right?
This was quite a thing to see on the tube last night. Yeah, if you just keep talking and keep that smug look on your face, you're sure to win the argument, aren't you? I mean, it works on Fox, doesn't it? Kudos to Rachel for not letting go of the reins and letting this fool hang himself with his own words. "The Southern Poverty Law Center has no credibility"??? This is what happens when you forget there is a difference between an assertion and an argument and get too used to everyone around you taking your words at face value. The guy got out 50 words for every one of Maddow's, but all he did was dig a deeper hole for himself and his own foul beliefs.
Most of the mainstream media are so in love with any loudmouthed bully that comes along that it's easy to think their vicious rants represent the views of the whole country, but it ain't necessarily so, folks. The world is heading for another shift, and we are living in interesting times indeed.
The real struggle is between those who understand language and those who labor to twist words until they mean the opposite of what they once meant. This is how good people get caught up in evil schemes. For instance, one quote Rachel pulled out basically stated that society is in danger because stupid people breed faster than intelligent ones. Now, on a surface level, I happen to believe this myself! Mike Judge made a brilliant movie based on this premise. However, the catch is that for this particular crowd, the word "intelligence" itself has been turned into a racist code word, thanks to books like The Bell Curve. (Note also, how the acronym FAIR has been stolen from the media critics in the link above by these odious Arizona racists.) I mean, we're all in favor of "intelligence", right? But when we have prominent people who do things like defining "intelligent" as "white", our language is degraded to the point where we cannot even have a conversation anymore. This is a feature, not a bug. It's intentional, and designed to divide us while the oligarchs scoop up all our resources and money with no regard for any sustainable future. And they made a lot of progress in the first 8 years of this century. But I think there is change afoot, and change is not just to be found in the form of one handsome, powerful black guy in the White House who has already made way too many compromises. Obama is just riding the wave as far as I'm concerned. It's up to us to be the rain.
The sane people of the world see serious problems and demand well thought out solutions that will not backfire in the long term. We are up against an opposition that is relentless, tireless, and has no qualms about lying through their teeth and stirring up livid, confused passions to enact their agenda. But we have integrity and a better sense of humor, which are more powerful things than they may appear to be. We are alive!
Anyway, here's part two of Rachel's interview with Dan Stein. Note how she never cuts his mike, instead she persistently and politely keeps coming back with simple questions. Bill O'Reilly is notorious for making his targets look bad by cutting them off and talking over them. Rachel Maddow doesn't need to resort to such transparent tactics; in fact, the more she lets Stein talk on and ignore her every time she asks a direct question, the worse he looks. The more these people are exposed outside of their own cozy right wing echo chamber, the better.
This was quite a thing to see on the tube last night. Yeah, if you just keep talking and keep that smug look on your face, you're sure to win the argument, aren't you? I mean, it works on Fox, doesn't it? Kudos to Rachel for not letting go of the reins and letting this fool hang himself with his own words. "The Southern Poverty Law Center has no credibility"??? This is what happens when you forget there is a difference between an assertion and an argument and get too used to everyone around you taking your words at face value. The guy got out 50 words for every one of Maddow's, but all he did was dig a deeper hole for himself and his own foul beliefs.
Most of the mainstream media are so in love with any loudmouthed bully that comes along that it's easy to think their vicious rants represent the views of the whole country, but it ain't necessarily so, folks. The world is heading for another shift, and we are living in interesting times indeed.
The real struggle is between those who understand language and those who labor to twist words until they mean the opposite of what they once meant. This is how good people get caught up in evil schemes. For instance, one quote Rachel pulled out basically stated that society is in danger because stupid people breed faster than intelligent ones. Now, on a surface level, I happen to believe this myself! Mike Judge made a brilliant movie based on this premise. However, the catch is that for this particular crowd, the word "intelligence" itself has been turned into a racist code word, thanks to books like The Bell Curve. (Note also, how the acronym FAIR has been stolen from the media critics in the link above by these odious Arizona racists.) I mean, we're all in favor of "intelligence", right? But when we have prominent people who do things like defining "intelligent" as "white", our language is degraded to the point where we cannot even have a conversation anymore. This is a feature, not a bug. It's intentional, and designed to divide us while the oligarchs scoop up all our resources and money with no regard for any sustainable future. And they made a lot of progress in the first 8 years of this century. But I think there is change afoot, and change is not just to be found in the form of one handsome, powerful black guy in the White House who has already made way too many compromises. Obama is just riding the wave as far as I'm concerned. It's up to us to be the rain.
The sane people of the world see serious problems and demand well thought out solutions that will not backfire in the long term. We are up against an opposition that is relentless, tireless, and has no qualms about lying through their teeth and stirring up livid, confused passions to enact their agenda. But we have integrity and a better sense of humor, which are more powerful things than they may appear to be. We are alive!
Anyway, here's part two of Rachel's interview with Dan Stein. Note how she never cuts his mike, instead she persistently and politely keeps coming back with simple questions. Bill O'Reilly is notorious for making his targets look bad by cutting them off and talking over them. Rachel Maddow doesn't need to resort to such transparent tactics; in fact, the more she lets Stein talk on and ignore her every time she asks a direct question, the worse he looks. The more these people are exposed outside of their own cozy right wing echo chamber, the better.
Humanoid Boogie
It was telling that the ads for Neil Innes' appearance at Cobb's Comedy Club didn't mention the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band at all, instead reading "Neil Innes (Monty Python, The Rutles)". In fact, the marquee itself billed him as "Neil Innes from Monty Python & The Holy Grail". In commercial terms, it makes sense of course, and one hopes that this strategy served to turn some less-informed Python fans on to the Bonzos. The people around us, though, needed no such introduction, cheering with recognition not only for the Bonzo numbers, but even for "How Sweet To Be An Idiot", the sentimentally histrionic (imagine John Cale with a duck on his head) title song of Innes' first solo album. This was a small but hardcore crowd of Innes fans who knew exactly who they were in the presence of. The warm reception must have been gratifying to Neil, who tantalized us with great stories of the early days of his one of a kind berserk psychedelic Dada trad-jazz combo.
Which is not to say that Neil Innes is resting on his laurels. Switching between various guitars, ukulele and keyboard (the last of which he could have spent more time on---I would've been happy to hear him play piano all night), he brought forth a wealth of good new material, some of which was downright stunning. One in particular, "One Of Those People", is definitely going to be added to Ear Candle Radio as soon as we get a hold of it; it really struck a chord with me. Unfortunately, Neil was all out of merch, having sold the lot at previous dates on this tour. But his newest, Innes' Own World: Best Bits, includes the aforementioned "One Of Those People", as well as "Imitation Song", the poignant Rutles swansong whose video we posted previously, and the rousing nose-thumbing anthem, "Ego Warriors". We're seeking it out at this very moment.
I remember Innes' post-Bonzos, pre-Rutles solo output from the 70s as being rather uneven as he made great efforts to prove himself as a More Serious Songwriter, but it's good to see he has found his own voice as a solo artist in the ensuing decades. The new material hits the perfect balance and showcases his matured talent for witty buffoonery that can touch on a serious point amid the silliness if he chooses to. At times, he was like a less misanthropic Stephin Merritt, with an encyclopedia of genres at his fingertips.
Still, a comedy club was the right place for this multi-faceted artist, and Innes delivered the laughs. The most hilarious moment for me was probably the ridiculously spot-on Elton John parody. In what could have been mistaken for an outtake from Madman Across The Water, he captured both Bernie Taupin's pseudo-profound word salad lyrics and Elton John's weird vocal tics and florid piano, resulting in something irresistible to both fans and non-fans. ("GodFREY DAAAANiels, he ain't done nothing wrong/Let him go back to Ohio or wherever he belong") The sweetest moment was either "Imitation Song", the Rutles' "Cheese And Onions", or possibly the faux-French ballad of mundane-yet-deepening love purred through a fake mustache. The most fun aspect of the evening was what he called "band shouts", aka audeince-participation singalongs. The show was a delight, and more than lived up to the Bonzos' legacy.
Which is not to say that Neil Innes is resting on his laurels. Switching between various guitars, ukulele and keyboard (the last of which he could have spent more time on---I would've been happy to hear him play piano all night), he brought forth a wealth of good new material, some of which was downright stunning. One in particular, "One Of Those People", is definitely going to be added to Ear Candle Radio as soon as we get a hold of it; it really struck a chord with me. Unfortunately, Neil was all out of merch, having sold the lot at previous dates on this tour. But his newest, Innes' Own World: Best Bits, includes the aforementioned "One Of Those People", as well as "Imitation Song", the poignant Rutles swansong whose video we posted previously, and the rousing nose-thumbing anthem, "Ego Warriors". We're seeking it out at this very moment.
I remember Innes' post-Bonzos, pre-Rutles solo output from the 70s as being rather uneven as he made great efforts to prove himself as a More Serious Songwriter, but it's good to see he has found his own voice as a solo artist in the ensuing decades. The new material hits the perfect balance and showcases his matured talent for witty buffoonery that can touch on a serious point amid the silliness if he chooses to. At times, he was like a less misanthropic Stephin Merritt, with an encyclopedia of genres at his fingertips.
Still, a comedy club was the right place for this multi-faceted artist, and Innes delivered the laughs. The most hilarious moment for me was probably the ridiculously spot-on Elton John parody. In what could have been mistaken for an outtake from Madman Across The Water, he captured both Bernie Taupin's pseudo-profound word salad lyrics and Elton John's weird vocal tics and florid piano, resulting in something irresistible to both fans and non-fans. ("GodFREY DAAAANiels, he ain't done nothing wrong/Let him go back to Ohio or wherever he belong") The sweetest moment was either "Imitation Song", the Rutles' "Cheese And Onions", or possibly the faux-French ballad of mundane-yet-deepening love purred through a fake mustache. The most fun aspect of the evening was what he called "band shouts", aka audeince-participation singalongs. The show was a delight, and more than lived up to the Bonzos' legacy.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
While we're on the subject of Bonzos
Just got our tickets for Neil Innes at Cobb's Comedy Club in SF next Wednesday. I'll be flying to New York at the crack of dawn Thursday morning with the Beards, so there won't be much sleep in between, but I'll probably spend the flight half asleep, dreaming silly, melodic dreams.
Here is a poignant animated video of a recent Innes recording, said to be the last-ever Rutles song.
Here is a poignant animated video of a recent Innes recording, said to be the last-ever Rutles song.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Let's go back to your childhood...childhood...childhood...
A BBC documentary on the late great Vivian Stanshall from the 90s, filmed towards the end of his life and aired shortly after his passing. Like many great humorists, he lived an often tragic life, and his death (passed out drunk in a burning house) was horrible. But let's remember him for his sweet irreverence, his joyful twisting of language, and the hilarity and glee he brought to the world.
Keep your eye on the backing band in the musical segments. Yes, that is the Mekons' Susie Honeyman on violin and keyboards. How cool is that? (Not to mention: the great Bonzo hornman Rodney Slater on bass saxophone. My failed youthful forays into attempting to learn to play sax were inspired by Rodney Slater and Ian Underwood.)
With the recently reissued Bonzo Dog Band albums raising their profile higher than it's been in years, it's good to see Vivian Stanshall getting renewed attention. Don't miss this.
And once you get hooked, The Doo Dah Diaries is a new website devoted to chronicling the complete history of the Bonzo Dog Band. Here is where you go next when you've run out of Monty Python references. Pull up your trousers and take a deep whiff of the sweet smell of giraffe.
Keep your eye on the backing band in the musical segments. Yes, that is the Mekons' Susie Honeyman on violin and keyboards. How cool is that? (Not to mention: the great Bonzo hornman Rodney Slater on bass saxophone. My failed youthful forays into attempting to learn to play sax were inspired by Rodney Slater and Ian Underwood.)
With the recently reissued Bonzo Dog Band albums raising their profile higher than it's been in years, it's good to see Vivian Stanshall getting renewed attention. Don't miss this.
And once you get hooked, The Doo Dah Diaries is a new website devoted to chronicling the complete history of the Bonzo Dog Band. Here is where you go next when you've run out of Monty Python references. Pull up your trousers and take a deep whiff of the sweet smell of giraffe.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Extra Action
Last night I was in Oakland, along with fellow Beards Daryl Henline and Joshua Warren, doing some vocal overdubs for the next Extra Action Marching Band record. Great stuff. I hope they finish it up soon.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Your house is on fire and your children are alone
We shot this footage of the Conspiracy Of Venus, an eclectic a capella women's choir and sister ensemble to the Conspiracy Of Beards, at San Francisco's Make Out Room. They opened their set with a sweet version of Tom Waits' "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" that illuminates some new corners of a familiar song. Hey little bird, fly away home!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Diego's Umbrella at the Mezzanine, May 30, 2009
Local Gypsy punks featuring violinist Jason Kleinberg, who we used to see playing with Rico Bell's Snakehandlers on a regular basis (back when Rico still lived in San Francisco). This was filmed when they opened for Sila & The Afro-Funk Experience last May. Davis Jones also shot the intro where we see the boys psyching themselves up for the gig backstage. You used to call yourselves WHAT, again?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Ear Candle Radio's Top 20: March 2010
Our new playlist is up and running (finally!), and about 95% complete. The last month of broadcasting was a random shuffle, and the charts are a combination of old and new stuff.
The brilliant, energetic and foxy Subtonix just can't stay out of the top 20, taking the number 1 spot with their awesome Screamers cover. We also say goodbye to great songs from PiL, Lavern Baker, and Joe Strummer from the old playlist, as well as Jonathan Mann's excellent tribute to Paul Krugman. (Google the Youtube video; it's a charmer.)
The Deletist CD is something we actually picked up at the Raincoats/Viv Albertine show at the Mezzanine last year, where the artist responsible for the infamous comic book Bitter Pie was selling her wares. (And like many people who make dark, disturbing art, she turns out to be really nice in real life.) Turns out she's in this murky, rumbling, electronic-flavored band. We picked a track with her chanting sternly "We don't believe the media!" over and over, and this is the second time it's shown up in the charts. Must be striking a chord with the folks.
We have more return appearances of old playlist highlights by the Clash, John Cooper Clarke, ESG, the Bonzos, the Temptations, Eddie Izzard, Bert Jansch, and the Animals. And we welcome new tracks from Curtis Mayfield (and why are we still needing to point out that we gotta have peace? Hello?), Yoko Ono (more words of wisdom), 60s Japanese beat group the Mops ("But I don't care of them/so I am just a mops!!!"), Bongwater ("What keeps you going? Great radio!"), and X-tal (a track from their final German release that is destined to be included in a new Ear Candle compilation really soon).
Last but not least is an old favorite from lesser known 60s San Francisco band the Serpent Power, a classic psychedelic tale of a nightmarish bad trip of a train ride with a twist at the end. We found out bandleader David Meltzer is alive and well and focusing on his poetry in the East Bay. We dropped him a line and he came back with a very gracious and appreciative reply. Good guy, good song.
After nearly six years of this, it's astonishing that there is still so much great music out there to hunt down, dust off and share with you all. Hope you are digging it. Keep giving us your feedback, and by all means, keep listening!
1. Subtonix - Vertigo - Tarantism
2. Public Image Ltd. - Rise - Compact Disc
3. LaVern Baker - Jim Dandy - Soul on Fire: The Best of LaVern Baker
4. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Bhindi Bhagee - Global A Go-Go
5. Jonathan Mann - Hey Paul Krugman - Song A Day
6. Deletist - Blakelok - Relive
7. Curtis Mayfield - We Got To Have Peace - Roots
8. The Clash - Police On My Back - Sandinista!
9. Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band - Healing - Between My Head And The Sky
10. The Mops - I'm Just A Mops - Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond
11. Bongwater - Great Radio - The Power of Pussy
12. John Cooper Clarke - Beasley Street - Snap, Crackle & Bop
13. ESG - Get Funky - A South Bronx Story
14. Bonzo Dog Band - Rhinocratic Oaths - The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse
15. The Temptations - Masterpiece - Psychedelic Soul
16. Eddie Izzard - Great Escape - Dress To Kill
17. X-tal - I Was A Teenage Christian - The Conqueror Worm
18. Bert Jansch - Courting Blues - Bert Jansch
19. The Animals - Baby Let Me Take You Home [Mono] - Absolute Animals 1964-1968
20. Serpent Power - Endless Tunnel - Serpent Power
The brilliant, energetic and foxy Subtonix just can't stay out of the top 20, taking the number 1 spot with their awesome Screamers cover. We also say goodbye to great songs from PiL, Lavern Baker, and Joe Strummer from the old playlist, as well as Jonathan Mann's excellent tribute to Paul Krugman. (Google the Youtube video; it's a charmer.)
The Deletist CD is something we actually picked up at the Raincoats/Viv Albertine show at the Mezzanine last year, where the artist responsible for the infamous comic book Bitter Pie was selling her wares. (And like many people who make dark, disturbing art, she turns out to be really nice in real life.) Turns out she's in this murky, rumbling, electronic-flavored band. We picked a track with her chanting sternly "We don't believe the media!" over and over, and this is the second time it's shown up in the charts. Must be striking a chord with the folks.
We have more return appearances of old playlist highlights by the Clash, John Cooper Clarke, ESG, the Bonzos, the Temptations, Eddie Izzard, Bert Jansch, and the Animals. And we welcome new tracks from Curtis Mayfield (and why are we still needing to point out that we gotta have peace? Hello?), Yoko Ono (more words of wisdom), 60s Japanese beat group the Mops ("But I don't care of them/so I am just a mops!!!"), Bongwater ("What keeps you going? Great radio!"), and X-tal (a track from their final German release that is destined to be included in a new Ear Candle compilation really soon).
Last but not least is an old favorite from lesser known 60s San Francisco band the Serpent Power, a classic psychedelic tale of a nightmarish bad trip of a train ride with a twist at the end. We found out bandleader David Meltzer is alive and well and focusing on his poetry in the East Bay. We dropped him a line and he came back with a very gracious and appreciative reply. Good guy, good song.
After nearly six years of this, it's astonishing that there is still so much great music out there to hunt down, dust off and share with you all. Hope you are digging it. Keep giving us your feedback, and by all means, keep listening!
1. Subtonix - Vertigo - Tarantism
2. Public Image Ltd. - Rise - Compact Disc
3. LaVern Baker - Jim Dandy - Soul on Fire: The Best of LaVern Baker
4. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Bhindi Bhagee - Global A Go-Go
5. Jonathan Mann - Hey Paul Krugman - Song A Day
6. Deletist - Blakelok - Relive
7. Curtis Mayfield - We Got To Have Peace - Roots
8. The Clash - Police On My Back - Sandinista!
9. Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band - Healing - Between My Head And The Sky
10. The Mops - I'm Just A Mops - Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond
11. Bongwater - Great Radio - The Power of Pussy
12. John Cooper Clarke - Beasley Street - Snap, Crackle & Bop
13. ESG - Get Funky - A South Bronx Story
14. Bonzo Dog Band - Rhinocratic Oaths - The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse
15. The Temptations - Masterpiece - Psychedelic Soul
16. Eddie Izzard - Great Escape - Dress To Kill
17. X-tal - I Was A Teenage Christian - The Conqueror Worm
18. Bert Jansch - Courting Blues - Bert Jansch
19. The Animals - Baby Let Me Take You Home [Mono] - Absolute Animals 1964-1968
20. Serpent Power - Endless Tunnel - Serpent Power
Monday, March 29, 2010
How's this for a paragraph?
If Catholic Cult Leaders want the family of nations to continue to let them fill the coffers of their Fake Country with money extorted from ignorant peasants with fairy tales of eternal lakes of fire, then the very minimum they need to do is perp-walk every child rapist, every child rape enabler and every child rape co-conspirator out of the Vatican and every other child rapist safe house in the world.More where this came from at Driftglass.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Don't blame others, don't be a victim
I liked seeing this. From the April 2010 issue of Mojo:
Several years ago, I overcame my media-induced reservations and completed the "Curriculum For Living" at Landmark Education, the current version of what used to be called EST, and I found it to be very useful and life-enhancing, and well worth the psychic and financial challenge for anyone who has the nerve to try it. Gabriel's description is spot on as far as I'm concerned. Quite a pleasant surprise to see such a glowing endorsement from a somewhat hip source.
Coming to adulthood in the '70s "Me Decade", Peter Gabriel was on board as various '60s cults and psychological self-therapies went mainstream, notably EST (Erhard Seminars Training), of which he still remains an enthusiast.
"Anyone with an open mind wanting to explore the world was drawn to that movement. There were fairly scary adventures that could change lives. Last year I met Werner Erhard [born John Paul Rosenberg, the former salesman who created the EST course]; many people feel negatively about him, but I enjoyed him enormously. The whole system he set up felt like a hard-sell American organization but if you didn't have a year to spend in an ashram yet still wanted to shake up your life a bit, you could go for a couple of weekends and get severely challenged.
"It taught me all sorts of things, of which one was to be responsible for your life and who you are---don't blame others, don't be a victim. I'd been doing that. The analogy is of a boat in dangerous water: would you rather be in the hold bitching about the captain or standing at the helm with the power to change direction? you can only get to that position if you're prepared to take responsibility. It's very logical but very hard sometimes---I can't always stay in that place but I know life works better when you're there.
"The other thing is to be authentic about who you are, how you feel, and what's going on...It's about being real. We spend so much of our lives not actually being who we are but who we imagine we ought to be."
Several years ago, I overcame my media-induced reservations and completed the "Curriculum For Living" at Landmark Education, the current version of what used to be called EST, and I found it to be very useful and life-enhancing, and well worth the psychic and financial challenge for anyone who has the nerve to try it. Gabriel's description is spot on as far as I'm concerned. Quite a pleasant surprise to see such a glowing endorsement from a somewhat hip source.
The Coo Coo Ca Choos cover the Granite Countertops (before they existed!) at Eagle Pizza in 2007
I watched this again for the first time in quite a while.
If you find this amusing, you should see what they do with the Stevie Wonder catalog.
If you find this amusing, you should see what they do with the Stevie Wonder catalog.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thank you friends
Alex Chilton at the I-Beam, 1985, photo by J Neo Marvin
The Box Tops. Big Star. The Cramps (producing most of their best records). Panther Burns. A minefield of stubbornly haphazard solo releases (caveat emptor). A very weird, interesting and hard to find collaboration with Alan Vega from the 90s that I'm still trying to find again. Alex Chilton cut a crazy, individualistic zigzag swathe through music and did exactly what he wanted to do. We had already planned to end our new playlist with Big Star's "Thank You Friends" (a wonderfully ambiguous song: is he sincerely thanking his friends or spewing the most subtle acid sarcasm at some false friends who let him down? It works equally well both ways); now it sounds extra poignant. 59 is way too young to go.
The Box Tops. Big Star. The Cramps (producing most of their best records). Panther Burns. A minefield of stubbornly haphazard solo releases (caveat emptor). A very weird, interesting and hard to find collaboration with Alan Vega from the 90s that I'm still trying to find again. Alex Chilton cut a crazy, individualistic zigzag swathe through music and did exactly what he wanted to do. We had already planned to end our new playlist with Big Star's "Thank You Friends" (a wonderfully ambiguous song: is he sincerely thanking his friends or spewing the most subtle acid sarcasm at some false friends who let him down? It works equally well both ways); now it sounds extra poignant. 59 is way too young to go.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Outside The Dial
Hey, check out Outside The Dial, an online station from Valparaiso, Indiana. They play a high energy mixture of indie, garage punk, and RRRAAAAWWWWWKK, and they just added our own Granite Countertops to their mix. Thanks for spreading the word!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
We've got love, we've got music, we've got beauty
Congratulations to San Francisco's Sila and his former band The Afro-Funk Experience, for winning the NAACP Image Award for world music this year!
Here's a great performance we shot by Sila and his new band at the Sea Of Dreams New Year's Eve party at the end of last year.
Here's a great performance we shot by Sila and his new band at the Sea Of Dreams New Year's Eve party at the end of last year.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Here come the painbirds
This really sucks. The world is so full of people who are nothing but useless wastes of skin who do nothing but bring harm to others, and we never hear about them getting depressed and killing themselves. No, it's only the sensitive souls with something to offer the world but don't have the strength to face the frustrations and injustices of life that end up doing themselves in.
Here's a tip, people: if you ever get that feeling that you would be better off dead and the world would be better off without you, you're probably one of those people the world needs more of. Why should you die when the Cheneys, Roves, and Limbaughs of the world continue to draw breath? This is why the world is in the shape it's in.
Here's a tip, people: if you ever get that feeling that you would be better off dead and the world would be better off without you, you're probably one of those people the world needs more of. Why should you die when the Cheneys, Roves, and Limbaughs of the world continue to draw breath? This is why the world is in the shape it's in.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Check out The Bell Boys on the Haight in San Francisco!
This young band came down from Portland, Oregon for a Saturday night gig and played outdoors on Haight St. the next day. We ran into them there on our Sunday stroll and couldn't resist capturing them. Such characters, and such nice music.
Friday, March 5, 2010
So you keep croaking at every microphone you see
Various Cheneys continue to inflict themselves on the public via our compliant media, to the point where we had to write a whole song about it. The delightful Rachel Maddow mocks them here in one of her best segments ever. Thanks for the snark, Rachel.
You wanna see her, oh yeah!
That great video we linked to earlier of Sandie Shaw doing "Hand In Glove" has been pulled from YouTube, apparently at the request of Sandie herself. This is disappointing because we were just telling some friends to go to the Ear Candle blog and check it out. Oh well.
We can only hope that the reason this fun, rocking and sexy performance has been taken away from us is that Sandie Shaw and/or her management are working on a DVD compilation of her greatest moments that will include this one, and it will be available soon. Right? RIGHT?
We can only hope that the reason this fun, rocking and sexy performance has been taken away from us is that Sandie Shaw and/or her management are working on a DVD compilation of her greatest moments that will include this one, and it will be available soon. Right? RIGHT?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Hey, stop peering out that Overton window for a second and look over here
Once again, Dennis Kucinich steps up and says what most of his colleagues are too chicken to:
When I was a child, I lived in a country that was committed to wading through a pointless bloody quagmire that was being fought for vague reasons that made no sense. (And yes, "fighting for freedom", then and now, qualifies as one of those.) And here we are again. Why exactly are the Democrats still trying to eke an "honorable victory" out of Bush's half-assed imperialist adventures? Is everybody so afraid that Dick Cheney will glare at them that they can't use the common sense they were born with? Give me a break.
When I was a child, I lived in a country that was committed to wading through a pointless bloody quagmire that was being fought for vague reasons that made no sense. (And yes, "fighting for freedom", then and now, qualifies as one of those.) And here we are again. Why exactly are the Democrats still trying to eke an "honorable victory" out of Bush's half-assed imperialist adventures? Is everybody so afraid that Dick Cheney will glare at them that they can't use the common sense they were born with? Give me a break.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Ear Candle Radio's Top 20: February 2010
1. The Mountain Goats - Psalms 40:2 - The Life Of The World To Come
2. Lou Reed (featuring Ornette Coleman) - Guilty - The Raven
3. CAN - Yoo Doo Right - Monster Movie
4. Them - Mystic Eyes - The Story Of Them featuring Van Morrison
5. Moe Tucker - Work - Life In Exile After Abdication
6. Eleventh Dream Day - The Raft - El Moodio
7. Dengue Fever - Sleepwalking Through The Mekong - Escape From Dragon House
8. Cornelius - New Music Machine - Fantasma
9. Mink DeVille - Slow Drain - Le Chat Bleu
10. Little My - Ohio - Grain
11. Incredible String Band - The Half-Remarkable Question - Wee Tam
12. The Gossip - Listen Up! - Standing In The Way Of Control
13. Tinariwen - Afours Afours - The Radio Tisdas Sessions
14. Fatal Microbes - Violence Grows - Rip It Up And Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984
15. Fairport Convention - Genesis Hall - Unhalfbricking
16. Sonic Youth - Within You Without You - Daydream Nation
17. John Lennon - Bring on the Lucie (Freda People) - Mind Games
18. Jeffrey Lewis - I Ain't Thick, It's Just A Trick - 12 Crass Songs
19. The Fall - A Figure Walks - Dragnet
20. Eric Burdon & War - You're No Stranger - Eric Burdon declares "War"
2. Lou Reed (featuring Ornette Coleman) - Guilty - The Raven
3. CAN - Yoo Doo Right - Monster Movie
4. Them - Mystic Eyes - The Story Of Them featuring Van Morrison
5. Moe Tucker - Work - Life In Exile After Abdication
6. Eleventh Dream Day - The Raft - El Moodio
7. Dengue Fever - Sleepwalking Through The Mekong - Escape From Dragon House
8. Cornelius - New Music Machine - Fantasma
9. Mink DeVille - Slow Drain - Le Chat Bleu
10. Little My - Ohio - Grain
11. Incredible String Band - The Half-Remarkable Question - Wee Tam
12. The Gossip - Listen Up! - Standing In The Way Of Control
13. Tinariwen - Afours Afours - The Radio Tisdas Sessions
14. Fatal Microbes - Violence Grows - Rip It Up And Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984
15. Fairport Convention - Genesis Hall - Unhalfbricking
16. Sonic Youth - Within You Without You - Daydream Nation
17. John Lennon - Bring on the Lucie (Freda People) - Mind Games
18. Jeffrey Lewis - I Ain't Thick, It's Just A Trick - 12 Crass Songs
19. The Fall - A Figure Walks - Dragnet
20. Eric Burdon & War - You're No Stranger - Eric Burdon declares "War"
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Yeah, she's a cool chick, baby
There was a time when admitting you actually liked Yoko Ono was an invitation to ridicule or worse. It was hard enough in the 70s to find other kids who liked Captain Beefheart, but HER? That (insert sexist and/or racist insult of your choice) who (supposedly) broke up the Beatles? How can you take that screeching seriously when you could be listening to GOOD rock music like...Ten Years After or the Steve Miller Band? So, as a 15 year old, I wore out my copies of Fly and Approximately Infinite Universe, but couldn't share them with anyone, because in the 70s, nobody got it. So, many decades later, it was a rewarding sight to see Oakland's sumptuous Fox Theater packed with people of all ages who had come to check out one of this year's Noise Pop Festival's most prestigious bills, headlined by a charming 70-something woman who happens to have put out one of the best albums of 2009.
We arrived in the middle of an opening set by Deerhoof (my third time seeing them, Davis's first) just as they were powering through a cover of "Pinhead" by the Ramones. Deerhoof, I must admit, were a band it took me a while to warm to when I first saw them, with their odd mixture of sugary cuteness and prog-rock chops. But after a long, creative career filled with nutty humor, otherworldly melodies and mad precision, it's impossible to deny their absolute mastery at what they do. Watching Satomi Matsuzaki and her bandmates bounce back and forth in perfectly synchronized pogo/bunnyhops while drummer Greg Saunier flings his whole body at his drumkit is a live rock experience like no other. They seemed to pull a lot of songs from their classic Milk Man album as well as new material and a few more astonishing covers: "Hitch-Hike" by LiliPut and, as an encore, an uncanny rendition of Canned Heat's "Going Up The Country" with Satomi on drums.
At the end of the set, we discovered that we had been given the wrong seats and, rather than high up in the balcony, we were supposed to be down on the main floor, only a few rows from the front. What a difference. Davis went up to ask if we could give Yoko a copy of What Is Truth? so she can hear the Content Providers' cover of "Kite Song". (One of my favorite songs at 15 that none of my peers could appreciate then) She was told to wait after the set was done and one of the road crew would accept it and pass it on. We did this later, after the show, and sure enough, a roadie happily took it. Hope you enjoy it, Yoko.
We settled in while a montage of Yoko Ono's life played on the screen, from cute little kid to mischievous performance artist to collaborator with unbelievably famous guy to grieving widow to elder stateswoman of philosophy, activism, and New York art. When it ended, various band members came on: the three members of ingenious Japanese band Cornelius, ex-Cibo Matto musical director Yuka Honda, and, a dead ringer for both of his parents at the same time, Sean Lennon, followed by the lady herself, who was immediately engulfed in rapturous cheers.
An eerie, hushed acapella verse of "Walking On Thin Ice" B-side "It Happened" led right into the grinding, exuberant "Waiting For The D-Train", as loud, clattering and thrilling as riding a New York subway for the first time. Smiling sweetly and letting out her unique yodel/warble/cry while the band rocked ferociously, Yoko looked and sounded joyful. The world had finally caught up with her, but she wasn't replicating her past; it was fresh.
Constantly switching instruments and musical styles, the new Plastic Ono Band added all their diverse talents to a surprise-filled set of new and old material. "Walking On Thin Ice" sounded as it should, with Sean pumping out the disco bass line; "Will I" replaced the ticking clock accompaniment of the recorded version with a web of delicate acoustic fingerpicking; "Calling", one of the best songs on the new album, was hypnotic, psychedelic and exciting.
Sean introduced "one of my favorite songs by my mom", "Death Of Samantha", by recalling their recent New York show where they were joined by former Ono collaborators Eric Clapton and Klaus Voormann, and admitting it was a bit intimidating to share the stage with said old rock stars. (Wonder if anyone from Elephant's Memory, who did such a great job on Approximately Infinite Universe, was there.) But when the song began, Sean's piercing lead guitar made it clear he could easily leave boring old Clapton in the dust. A brilliant angst-ridden torch song with the repeated lyric "People say I'm coooool......yeah, I'm a cooooool chick, baby", it's a mystery why "Death Of Samantha" is not on regular rotation on "classic rock" stations everywhere.
Yoko reminisced about the making of the Fly album and how excited John Lennon was when the track "Mindtrain" was recorded while everybody else blanched at the idea of a 17-minute track. That night's version was a bit more condensed, but captured the essence of the original with its crunching train rhythms and Yoko gleefully repeating "Dub dub! Dub dub!" ad infinitum. If John had been here, he'd have been grinning ear to ear.
The set went through everything from abstract sound improvisations to smooth electronic pop to aggressive guitar music, all wedded to Yoko Ono's quirky voice and childlike Zen wisdom. And then there were the encores.
First, Deerhoof joined in for "Don't Worry Kyoko". Then a whole gang of guest artists, including the excellent Petra Haden, joined in for a spontaneous "Give Peace A Chance", prefaced by Yoko's explanation of how those seemingly random verses were originally written: by taking today's paper (and it has to be today's, that's the rule) and pulling out key words and sticking them in after "Everybody's talking about....." Giving various guests different sheets of paper and cueing them when it was "their" verse, it ended up being kind of a shambles, but it didn't matter much, because all that really matters is that chorus, right? "All we are saying..." So people, are we ready to give it a chance yet? Or are we still waiting for that D-train?
We arrived in the middle of an opening set by Deerhoof (my third time seeing them, Davis's first) just as they were powering through a cover of "Pinhead" by the Ramones. Deerhoof, I must admit, were a band it took me a while to warm to when I first saw them, with their odd mixture of sugary cuteness and prog-rock chops. But after a long, creative career filled with nutty humor, otherworldly melodies and mad precision, it's impossible to deny their absolute mastery at what they do. Watching Satomi Matsuzaki and her bandmates bounce back and forth in perfectly synchronized pogo/bunnyhops while drummer Greg Saunier flings his whole body at his drumkit is a live rock experience like no other. They seemed to pull a lot of songs from their classic Milk Man album as well as new material and a few more astonishing covers: "Hitch-Hike" by LiliPut and, as an encore, an uncanny rendition of Canned Heat's "Going Up The Country" with Satomi on drums.
At the end of the set, we discovered that we had been given the wrong seats and, rather than high up in the balcony, we were supposed to be down on the main floor, only a few rows from the front. What a difference. Davis went up to ask if we could give Yoko a copy of What Is Truth? so she can hear the Content Providers' cover of "Kite Song". (One of my favorite songs at 15 that none of my peers could appreciate then) She was told to wait after the set was done and one of the road crew would accept it and pass it on. We did this later, after the show, and sure enough, a roadie happily took it. Hope you enjoy it, Yoko.
We settled in while a montage of Yoko Ono's life played on the screen, from cute little kid to mischievous performance artist to collaborator with unbelievably famous guy to grieving widow to elder stateswoman of philosophy, activism, and New York art. When it ended, various band members came on: the three members of ingenious Japanese band Cornelius, ex-Cibo Matto musical director Yuka Honda, and, a dead ringer for both of his parents at the same time, Sean Lennon, followed by the lady herself, who was immediately engulfed in rapturous cheers.
An eerie, hushed acapella verse of "Walking On Thin Ice" B-side "It Happened" led right into the grinding, exuberant "Waiting For The D-Train", as loud, clattering and thrilling as riding a New York subway for the first time. Smiling sweetly and letting out her unique yodel/warble/cry while the band rocked ferociously, Yoko looked and sounded joyful. The world had finally caught up with her, but she wasn't replicating her past; it was fresh.
Constantly switching instruments and musical styles, the new Plastic Ono Band added all their diverse talents to a surprise-filled set of new and old material. "Walking On Thin Ice" sounded as it should, with Sean pumping out the disco bass line; "Will I" replaced the ticking clock accompaniment of the recorded version with a web of delicate acoustic fingerpicking; "Calling", one of the best songs on the new album, was hypnotic, psychedelic and exciting.
Sean introduced "one of my favorite songs by my mom", "Death Of Samantha", by recalling their recent New York show where they were joined by former Ono collaborators Eric Clapton and Klaus Voormann, and admitting it was a bit intimidating to share the stage with said old rock stars. (Wonder if anyone from Elephant's Memory, who did such a great job on Approximately Infinite Universe, was there.) But when the song began, Sean's piercing lead guitar made it clear he could easily leave boring old Clapton in the dust. A brilliant angst-ridden torch song with the repeated lyric "People say I'm coooool......yeah, I'm a cooooool chick, baby", it's a mystery why "Death Of Samantha" is not on regular rotation on "classic rock" stations everywhere.
Yoko reminisced about the making of the Fly album and how excited John Lennon was when the track "Mindtrain" was recorded while everybody else blanched at the idea of a 17-minute track. That night's version was a bit more condensed, but captured the essence of the original with its crunching train rhythms and Yoko gleefully repeating "Dub dub! Dub dub!" ad infinitum. If John had been here, he'd have been grinning ear to ear.
The set went through everything from abstract sound improvisations to smooth electronic pop to aggressive guitar music, all wedded to Yoko Ono's quirky voice and childlike Zen wisdom. And then there were the encores.
First, Deerhoof joined in for "Don't Worry Kyoko". Then a whole gang of guest artists, including the excellent Petra Haden, joined in for a spontaneous "Give Peace A Chance", prefaced by Yoko's explanation of how those seemingly random verses were originally written: by taking today's paper (and it has to be today's, that's the rule) and pulling out key words and sticking them in after "Everybody's talking about....." Giving various guests different sheets of paper and cueing them when it was "their" verse, it ended up being kind of a shambles, but it didn't matter much, because all that really matters is that chorus, right? "All we are saying..." So people, are we ready to give it a chance yet? Or are we still waiting for that D-train?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
You don't have to understand a single word to know he means it, maaan
Not one to let a little stroke-induced aphasia hold him back, Chris Knox (along with his band The Nothing) belts it out at St. Jerome's Laneway Music Festival in Auckland, New Zealand. What a trouper. And what an unstoppable rock and roll spirit. Truly inspirational.
Under construction
We're working on a fresh new playlist for Ear Candle Radio, which hopefully won't take more than a month to finish off. You can look forward to lively sets for getting on the good foot and letting go, a set for these high pressure days, musical debates on the value of belief, a trip to Tuva, Cambodia, Afghanistan and elsewhere with Frank Sinatra, and many more crazy ideas and surprising music.
In the meantime, the station is set to random shuffle. You might catch some new additions among the firm favorites that have graced our airwaves the past couple years. And while we're at it, if you have something utterly amazing that we just have to hear, the time has never been better to drop us a line. We are, as we mentioned, assembling a new playlist as we speak. There's a chance you may have just what we are looking for.
In the meantime, the station is set to random shuffle. You might catch some new additions among the firm favorites that have graced our airwaves the past couple years. And while we're at it, if you have something utterly amazing that we just have to hear, the time has never been better to drop us a line. We are, as we mentioned, assembling a new playlist as we speak. There's a chance you may have just what we are looking for.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Fear, Inc.
"We're all so secure/when you play with our fear" (Lyrics added to our cover of "At Last I Am Free" from 2003...not written by Chic)
So, are we a nation of cowering wimps now? Or are we just playacting because we've been told that's the patriotic thing to be? A thought-provoking article we found while reading Mick Farren's blog. Check it out. And stop that sniveling! (SLAP)
Here's an instrumental meditation on the subject:
FEAR, by the Experimental Bunnies
(A track from Music From The Integrity Tone Scale. To find out more about the scale that inspired the album, take a stroll over here.)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Crashing Into The Future is now up on iTunes (our official announcement)
The rooster crows, the tiger roars, and something rocking this way comes.
Our newest band on Ear Candle Productions, the Granite Countertops, have unleashed their 12-song debut album, CRASHING INTO THE FUTURE.
The Granite Countertops are dark, whimsical, tender existential action heroes J Neo Marvin and Davis Jones, plus honored guests Matthew Grasso, Lizzie Borden, Junko Suzuki, Mark Parsons, and Stephen Abbate. The music ranges from noisy motivational dance tunes and flamenco/raga/trip-hop protest to populist cowbell rock, conflict-habituated jazz-dub, dissonant garage love ballads and trenchant chatty dronefests. 10 new original numbers, plus two covers of songs by Robert Wyatt and Donovan. It's a sonic pocket zeitgeist for 2010, and we can't wait for you to hear it.
Tantalizing previews and buy buttons can be found here.
And song lyrics and detailed song credits can be found here.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Ear Candle Radio's Top 20: January 2010
1. Subtonix - Vertigo - Tarantism
2. The Mountain Goats - Prana Ferox - Sweden
3. Bob Dylan - Suze (The Cough Song) - The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 : Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991
4. The Temptations - Masterpiece - Psychedelic Soul
5. Suicide - I Remember - Suicide
6. Them - Mystic Eyes - The Story Of Them featuring Van Morrison
7. Peter Jefferies - White Prole - Electricity
8. The Rutles - Nevertheless - The Rutles
9. CAN - Yoo Doo Right - Monster Movie
10. The Raincoats - Balloon - Moving
11. The Stooges - I Got A Right - Rough Trade Shops Rock And Roll
12. Richard & Linda Thompson - The Great Valerio - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
13. LaVel Moore - The World Is Changing - Eccentric Soul: The Young Disciples
14. Judy Nylon - Others - Pal Judy
15. The Impressions - Soulful Love - The Young Mods' Forgotten Story
16. The Fall - A Lot Of Wind - The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004
17. Deletist - Blakelok - Relive
18. Leonard Cohen - Stories Of The Street - Songs of Leonard Cohen
19. Alan Price - O Lucky Man! - O Lucky Man!
20. Big City Orchestra - Beggettle - Reach For The Moon
2. The Mountain Goats - Prana Ferox - Sweden
3. Bob Dylan - Suze (The Cough Song) - The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 : Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991
4. The Temptations - Masterpiece - Psychedelic Soul
5. Suicide - I Remember - Suicide
6. Them - Mystic Eyes - The Story Of Them featuring Van Morrison
7. Peter Jefferies - White Prole - Electricity
8. The Rutles - Nevertheless - The Rutles
9. CAN - Yoo Doo Right - Monster Movie
10. The Raincoats - Balloon - Moving
11. The Stooges - I Got A Right - Rough Trade Shops Rock And Roll
12. Richard & Linda Thompson - The Great Valerio - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
13. LaVel Moore - The World Is Changing - Eccentric Soul: The Young Disciples
14. Judy Nylon - Others - Pal Judy
15. The Impressions - Soulful Love - The Young Mods' Forgotten Story
16. The Fall - A Lot Of Wind - The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004
17. Deletist - Blakelok - Relive
18. Leonard Cohen - Stories Of The Street - Songs of Leonard Cohen
19. Alan Price - O Lucky Man! - O Lucky Man!
20. Big City Orchestra - Beggettle - Reach For The Moon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)